The Inquisitor's Father
by Nature9000
Summary: After the final fight with Corypheus, the Inquisitor prepares for her greatest struggle yet. She has hidden the reality of what brought her to the Inquisition at the start, and her desire to be close to the father she never knew. Now she's ready to talk to the man she's sought for most of her life, but will he accept her, or reject her after all they've gone through?


The Inquisitor's Father

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Age

A/N: So this oneshot is based on the female dwarven playthrough in which I role-played her in the way that you will see her here. It's only a shame that the writers didn't think of a potential backstory as this, read and enjoy. Oh, and yes, the cover photo is a picture I took of my female dwarf inquisitor, with Varric in the background.

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-THE TALE OF BIANCA-

The tiny dwarf's sword seemed to increase in weight as she clung the handle tightly while pulling it flat against her chest and forehead. She knelt beside her bed and swept her trembling hand through her sweat-drenched strawberry hair.

Corypheus was dead, and the majority of the rifts throughout Thedas had been sealed. Yet all of the battles she'd been through, from her life in the Carta to the fight with the greatest evil of all, nothing could prepare her for what she was about to do.

Normally she would find solace in getting advice from the mage, Solas, but he'd vanished shortly after the last fight. She was distraught over the departure and felt as though the man she looked up to as an uncle had abandoned her. Now she feared a greater abandonment.

"I've held it in for far too long," she whispered while pulling her head away from the blade. Her voice shook with fear, and her sweaty palms let the handle of the blade slip an inch.

With a gasp she lowered the sword to the bed. "What's going on?" A man asked. She turned her head and smiled faintly at the tall dark-bearded man at her door. It was Blackwall, one of her dearest friends and love interest. Varric didn't approve much of the relationship, simply for the fact that he felt Blackwall was too old for her-not to mention the man also disappeared on her.

While he was sorry for it, and she'd long since forgiven him, she still harbored some resentment. "I can talk to you about anything, right?" She looked towards the bed and with a heavy sigh, she pushed herself to her feet. "I don't know who to go to, but I need support with this."

The man approached her took her hand in his. "You can discuss anything with me." Part of her wanted to go to Cassandra or Leliana with the matter, but feared they were too busy to help now that Leliana was Divine and Cassandra was restoring the Seekers of Truth.

Her only other alternatives would likely suggest obscene things which she wouldn't want to hear. What she wanted was comfort, advice, and support.

Already she thought of how each one of her friends might respond to her, and obsessing on their responses drove her half crazy. Sera was sure to tell her to attack somebody, Bull likely would grunt and suggest fighting a creature of some sort in order to find relief.

"Do you remember when we made love the first time?" His brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth sank into his beard. Bianca sat on the edge of her bed and folded her hands into her lap. "I woke up and you were gone. The terror I felt then…do you know why? Most girls, of course they'd be angry, but-"

"You were angrier than most, if I recall. Gave me quite the lashing, and oddly, so did Varric." She laughed once and swept her fingers across the moisture on her cheek.

"It's funny. Varric won't discuss the fact that I share the same name as the crossbow he has, though it's likely the woman we met that has the same name is the namesake."

She knew more than she was letting him know, but only because she didn't know how much to reveal at this moment.

"That's beside the point." She swept a hand through the air and cleared her throat. "Sort of." His thick brown eyebrows lifted partially and the man reached over, wrapping his fingers carefully around her hand. "I um, you know the Cadash family isn't my real family?"

A gasp dropped from his mouth. "What?" The Cadash family let her knew on several occasions as she grew that she was not their daughter. They were only looking after her because a friend of theirs didn't want her. "When did you know?"

Her shoulders fell and her eyelids closed. "All my life. I don't know why they didn't just abandon me; everyone else has." Her lower lip pouted and her eyes raised up to his. "My own mother never wanted me. I was born out of wedlock, and as a result of an affair. I…I don't even know if my father realizes that I exist."

Her hand pulled away from his and her eyebrows closed together. "I mean, he knows I exist, but I don't think he knows he has a daughter."

"So, you know who your father is?"

"Oh I know who he is. What do you think I was doing at the conclave when the explosion happened?" It was true she was sent there as a spy for the Carta, but she volunteered to go. "I knew my father was going to be there, or at the very least, that he was supposed to be there…he wasn't."

"So you lost your chance to meet him?"

"My father…" She took a deep breath and reached up to pull the strands of hair from her face. "My father is big in the merchant's guild. I've known about him from the time I was a child, and I've always wanted to find him-to get to know him. I've met him, but I can't bring myself to tell him that I am his daughter."

She was scared he would reject her, and when he rejects her, she was terrified he would want nothing more to do with her.

While she didn't want to come right out and tell Blackwall who she was referring to, there was a look of realization coming over him. That look twisted into fear after a few seconds, which she wasn't surprised about considering the man that was her father knew Blackwall as well and was adamantly not supportive of the couple's relationship.

"I've been abandoned by my mother, left behind by my family, and as far as I know, I can't tell how my father will react to me." This was why she wanted his support, or anyone's for that matter, because she finally mustered up enough courage after all this time to tell the man who she was.

"Your father-you can't mean Varric is your father, can you?" He stammered over his words, but his voice remained firm yet compassionate.

"Yes," she replied with a hesitating breath. "He was the reason I was at the conclave, and when I realized he was fighting with the Inquisition, he was the initial reason I stayed."

At first it seemed to be a selfish reason. It was a while of helping people before she realized that staying with the Inquisition was the right thing to do. "I wanted to be at his side, is that wrong?" She nearly didn't accept the role of Inquisitor because of her fears regarding the selfishness she felt.

"No, that isn't wrong at all." Blackwall put a strong arm around her and pulled her close. She set her head on his shoulder and breathed in shakily. "Can I ask, about your mother? It seems ironic, Varric named his crossbow Bianca, the woman we met was named Bianca, and-"

"I was named after my mother, named for the woman that gave me up." She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. There was nothing left for her regarding her mother, she didn't want anything to do with that woman. "The Bianca that we met? The one that knew Varric personally…that was her…"

"What? But you didn't say anything. You didn't even react to the woman."

"What would I have to say to a woman that abandoned me?" She scoffed and threw her hand up into the air. "What would I have to say to a woman that probably never gave my father a chance to decide whether he wanted to raise me?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She buried her face in her hands and let out a loud groan as he started to rub her back. He made a comment about himself getting an arrow to the ass once Varric realized who his daughter actually was, but Bianca ignored the statement.

"You know, it wouldn't surprise me if he had some idea." She raised her head and lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Maybe he doesn't, but he's certainly acted fatherly towards you. In every battle, when you fell, he was there to pick you up. Anytime something happened, he was right there looking after you-and let's not forget that he watches me like a hawk."

"That doesn't mean anything. It just means he looks after his friends."

"Since when has he treated anyone else the same way he treats you?" He had a point. He didn't say much around her, hardly ever talking about the fact that she was the only other dwarf of their friends.

He didn't ask about her life details or anything that would remotely indicate he had any knowledge about who she was or if she was important to him in any way.

However, he didn't tease her like he did the others. He hardly made fun of them, and when the demon controlling Seeker Lucius was acting creepy with her, Varric became dangerously possessive. Even when Dorian mentioned Alexus being 'obsessed' with her, Varric instantly wanted to know what that meant.

There were other indicators that she never thought much of or was blind to, but Varric did seem to act like there was something special about her. "I do share the same name as that crossbow of his…"

"You're wanting to talk to him?" Blackwall gave her hand a gentle squeeze and reassured her with a smile. "I'm here for you. If you're afraid he'll reject you, and if that's what he ends up doing, I'll fight for you…but I don't believe he will."

Her eyes drifted to a manuscript on the wooden table beside her bed. It was lit up with an amber glow from the candle next to it. "You know, there is something more." She reached for the manuscript, chuckling to herself. "I um, I've been a fan of his books since I was a girl, and there's this one that he started a long time ago and never finished."

Blackwall took it from her and peered over it, scanning it intensely. She pointed to the date written down at the top-the tale was started nearly a decade ago.

"I found it stuffed away in his notes." There was a small notation on the final page that stated clearly the story was not to be completed. She was amazed he kept the manuscript at all. "It's about a man trying to reconnect with his family, but that he doesn't know how. I wish he would have finished it."

"Why don't you ask him to?"

"I can't do that!" Her eyes widened and she swiped the manuscript away from Blackwall. "He'll know I was going through his stuff."

"What will I know?" Her muscles tensed and her gaze flew to the door. Varric was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. His crossbow hung loosely from his back, and his eyes were focused on Blackwall, and narrowing slowly.

Varric's mouth slipped into a smirk and he motioned his head to the door. "Blackwall. You have to the count of three to leave." Blackwall froze and Bianca turned her head to the man. "One…" He reached for the crossbow, deepening his smirk.

"I-I'm not going to leave her side. I'm devoted."

"Because you were so devoted when you slept with her…" Varric's nose wrinkled up and two lines stretched across his forehead. "Two." He removed the crossbow and wagged his eyebrows.

"Would you prefer privacy?" Blackwall stood up and looked to Bianca with a smile. "It'll be alright." Her heart stopped and she immediately shook her head. "I'll be right outside, know I support you."

Blackwall stepped out and Bianca sighed. "Great. He's gone." She tilted her head and looked up as Varric returned his crossbow and walked towards the bed. "Must you scare him?"

"I've got my reasons."

"Look." She crossed her arms and glanced down at the manuscript in her lap. "I know you're still angry with him for hurting me, but-"

"He laid you, then left you. He lied and deceived you." She closed her hands and felt a sudden moisture in her eyes. When she looked up, she could see the features around Varric's face softening.

He sat down and a soft breath of air fell from his lips. "You've been through so much. You don't deserve to be treated like that, not someone to be left behind or abandoned."

"I'm accustomed to it. Besides, Blackwall hasn't shown me that he would leave again."

"Maybe he hasn't, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned. Plus, you should be happy."

"Happy?" She ripped out a laugh. "Why should I be?" She stopped with an abrupt gasp and shook herself. "No. I don't want to discuss this. I…" Her eyes moved to his crossbow and her mouth turned to a faint smile. "That woman. The one you named your crossbow for? How is she?"

He leaned to the right and removed the bow from his back. "She's troubled, I think." Bianca frowned and watched him extend the crossbow. "Here, why don't you hold this for a moment?"

"Really?" She took the bow reluctantly and her fingers trembled on the weapon while she clung to it as though it were a lifeline. Varric smiled at her and rubbed his chin.

"You may prefer swords, but I'd say you could be a natural archer someday." Her lips shook against each other as she looked up at the man. She could feel her heart pulsating and shooting blood through her veins.

"I don't know what to say," she stammered. He rarely let anyone touch the crossbow. The only time she'd seen him hand it over to anybody was Cole, and that was when he wanted to teach the boy something about humanity.

"The woman that made that crossbow, and the woman it is named for are not the same." Varric whisked his hand away from his chin, seemingly blowing it away with a heavy breath. His strong grip fell on the top of the crossbow, and Bianca studied it carefully. "The woman you met, that is the same person who made the crossbow, I haven't seen nor heard from her since our trip to Valammar…"

"Why not?" She turned her head back to him and her lips pursed. "Is it because she tricked us?"

"Partly. She came because she wanted help with something, but she also came because I asked her to. I wanted her to meet you." She held her breath. Her stomach tightened as Varric turned his eyes to the side. "Things didn't go so well, and I got tired of waiting to see if we might ever stand a chance of being together."

"You said that a war or something would break out, right? If she left her husband or something like that?"

"Something like that." Varric crossed his arms and raised his shoulders. "Anyway, now that Corypheus is dead, and things are winding down, I thought maybe you and I need to have a talk."

"I was thinking the same thing." She wanted to let him say what he needed to say first. The nerves inside were beginning to choke her, and she didn't want to bring up that she knew him to be her father while running the risk of breaking down from the nerves. She could calm down while he was talking. "You go first."

"Right." She pulled the crossbow closer to her chest and slid her arms around it as if it were a child's plaything to snuggle with. Varric's eyes lit up and his mouth curled into a smile. "Also, I'd like to see my manuscript."

Her eyes opened up and she peered down as he carefully took the document from her lap. "I was looking for this." He took a deep breath and glanced at her. "It hasn't been finished, you know."

"I know. I read all your tales, I have since I was a child. Even the books the people that raised me said were 'inappropriate' for my age." Varric's jaw dropped and he began to chuckle.

"Well, regardless, you've become a very learned woman. That's something to be proud of."

"Thanks…What um, what inspired that story? Why did you stop writing it?"

He turned his gaze to the document and his right thumb slid along the side of the page. "I couldn't continue it. It was too difficult."

"I enjoyed reading it. You really should continue, I would _definitely_ read." Varric smiled once more, and a warmth seemed to glint in his eyes.

"Maybe I will finish." Varric set the manuscript aside and turned his head to her. A moment of silence fell around them and her nerves started rising once more. "The reason I never finished that story is because the inspiration was too close to my heart. I was looking for something that I never knew how to find, and Bianca-the woman you met-was of no help to me."

"Oh."

"Why don't you tell me what it is you wanted to say. I can see you're nervous, and it would be best to get it off your chest."

When she looked into his eyes, she saw something she'd never seen in anyone else. It was an odd look, and one she often wished the man that raised her would have given her.

Varric had given her this look before, but she never thought anything of it because these were emotional times when she needed someone to lean on. He was the one to do so.

"You know, don't you?" Her words fell with a whisper and her eyebrows slid together, pushing up a wrinkle between them. The corners of his mouth embedded into his cheeks and he reached over, patting her knee once. "When? How?"

"From the moment you and Cassandra showed up at the breach, I suspected. I had Leliana confirm, but I never knew how to approach the subject." She whined for a second and moved her hand up to her forehead. It all made sense now, but she still couldn't believe he'd known all this time.

"I never wanted this life for you, that's why I always insisted to tag along on your travels. I couldn't let anything happen to my daughter." She started to choke up and she moved her trembling hand over her mouth.

"The truth is, I've always known that I had a daughter out there…Your mother-though I detest calling her that." He shut his eyes and cleared away the heaviness in his throat. "She made sure I knew I had a child that she gave up, but never let me know anything about you. She strung me along, letting me think if I kept up the affair that maybe, just _maybe_ she would tell me all about you."

Tears streaked her cheeks, and she nearly dropped the crossbow, catching it just before it rolled away from her. Varric's eyes moved to the crossbow and he pointed it at her. "I named that after you." She jerked her head back with a surprised sob.

"Me?"

"Yes. Bianca made the crossbow as what she called a gift, saying that even though I didn't have a daughter, I had this. She told me the family that she gave you to named you after her, so in turn, I named the crossbow 'Bianca'. That is the true story behind my crossbow."

"The story you said you'd never tell…" She gazed down at the bow, watching the teardrops land on it with a splash. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Probably the same reason you didn't. How do you tell someone, in the middle of a war, that they are your child? How do you tell them in a way they won't actually hate you, or maybe blame you for leaving them?"

She bowed her head and after what seemed an eternity, she leaned into him. "I don't blame you."

A trembling sensation shot down her spine and spread throughout her body. "I wish I had known you." Her voice was hoarse and she spoke swiftly and without end. It was as though she needed to say it all because if she didn't, she may never speak her mind.

"I-I wish I could have been with you growing up; so I might never have had to run away from my family, I might never have had to go into the damned Carta. Maybe things would have been different, my life would be so different. Maybe both our lives would have been."

"I know."

She lifted her head from his shoulder and sniffled when her eyes met his. "I-I've been through so much crap in the Carta. You don't even know what they do to the women." Varric frowned and she frantically swept her hand across her cheeks in a mad attempt to wipe away her tears. "I've been let down by so many and I don't even know how I got to where I'm at _now_, it hardly even matters. The one thing I've always wanted was to know why I didn't even have parents…where they were…"

Varric wrapped his arms around her and she let herself be pulled close to him. The shivers in her body started to quiet, but she still shook with tearful sobs. "I'm here now. There's no changing the past, but at the same time, that made you who you are."

"Who am I? The 'Inquisitor'? It hardly makes sense anymore."

"You are a strong, bright and beautiful woman that has grown into someone that I am very proud of." Her heart leapt into her throat, and her lips curled into a subtle smile. "You don't have to hurt anymore. Your father's here, and I won't let anything happen to you."

She closed her eyes and swept her arms around him, letting the crossbow slide from her lap and onto the bed. "I'm glad I know you now, even though I wish I knew you."

"Better late than never."

"Yeah. That's true." She felt the heaviness fall from her shoulders and felt a light sensation she could only describe as how she felt whenever she removed the heavy armor from her body night after night.

Now with her father, she could start to truly put the past behind her and move forward. They had an entire lifetime to catch up on, and an entire future ahead of them.

This time, nothing was going to keep them apart.

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I hope you all enjoyed this. Now...I really need to stop playing Dragon Age and actually get some work done...you don't want to know how many playthroughs I have. I'd love to write more, each of my playthroughs have given me so many ideas to write, haha. Anyway, tell me what you thought of this? What are your opinions?


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